Display device for an advertising card or the like



Aug. 2 1, 1956 F. w. AKERs, JR

DISPLAY DEVICE FOR AN ADVERTISING CARD OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 20. 1953IN V EN TOR .ri b

Unitecl States Patent() DISPLAY DEVICE Fon AN ADVERTISING CARD, on THELIKE,

Franklin W.v Alters, Jr., Huntington, W. Va. Application August 20,1953, SerialVNo. 375,386

2 Claims. (CL 40s-11.7)

This invention relates to a display device and more particularly to adevice for displaying an advertising card or the like.

It is the general object of this, invention to produce a new andimproved display device of the character described.

It is a more specific object ofthe invention to. produce a displaydevice into which an advertising card or the like may easily be insertedtogether with means for preventing withdrawal of the. card eitherVaccidentally or by unauthorized persons.

A further object of the invention is to produce a display device ofthecharacter described in the. preceding paragraph which is particularlyadaptable to be clamped to a post, such as a post mounted parkingmeter,- so as to display advertising matter.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a display devicewhich includes a base member having an exposed face portion providedalong each side thereof with guideways for receiving and retaining anadvertising card, with one of the guideways being spaced from the faceportion to provide an entrance slot through which the card may beinserted together with retaining means for retaining the card inposition until released by keyoperated means.

A further object of the invention is to produce a display device of thetype described in the preceding paragraph in which said retaining meansare spring-operated and provided with a cam portion to be contacted bythe leading edge of a card inserted through the slot so as to move theretaining means lout of `a position blocking the slot to permit readyand easy insertion of a card into the guideways, with the spring meansserving to move the retaining means to blocking position when the cardis sufciently inserted.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will bereadily apparent from the following description 'and drawings, in which:

Fig. l is an isometric view of a display device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevational View partially broken away ofthe device shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view along line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view along line 4 4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section along line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many differentforms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described indetail one specific ernbodiment, with the understanding that the presentdisclosure is to be considered as an exemplication of the principles ofthe invention and is not intended to limit the invention to theembodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointedv outin the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a display devicecomprising 'a base member, generally indirce cated at 10, includingv twosimilarly formed base portions 12 and 12a. As the base portions aresubstantially identical, similar reference numerals will be given tosimilar parts on each base portion, with those relating to the baseportion 12a carrying the designating letter 11.

Each base portion is providedl with a semi-cylindrical groove 13, 13aextending from end to end thereof, and means in the form of bolts 14 areprovided for securing the base portions. together so as to clamp thedevice around a post 154 which may be the post on which a parking meteris mounted. Each base portion is provided with an exposed, substantiallyrectangular face portion 20 and 20a andk mounted on each side of eachface portion are guideways 21, 22, 23 and 2li. Each guideway is providedwith a portion 25 overlying but spaced from the face portion and securedthereto by the screws 26. The lower guideway 24 is spaced from theadjacent surface of the face portion 20 so as to provide an entranceslot 27 through which a card 28 may be inserted, with the inserted cardbeing positioned beneath the orverlying` portions 25 of the guideways.

Retaining means, generally designated Sil, are provided for retaining aninserted card in position on the face portion, with the retaining meanscomprising a generally U-shaped leaf spring 3l having a leg portion 32located in. a recess 33 formed. in the. base member and the opposite.leg 34 positioned in the slot 27'. The end of the leg 34 isv inturnedto. form a lip. 35 normally blocking the slot so. as to. prevent thecard from falling out of the guideways.. It will be noted that the legportion 34 is slanted and thus provides a cam surface `aligned with theslot 27 so that when a card is inserted into the entrance slot, theleading edge of the card contacts the cam-like surface of the leg 34 so'as to depress the spring and thus y move the lip 35 out of blockingposition in the slot.

The card then may easily be inserted so as to lie beneath the guidewayportions 25, and when the lower edge of the card passes beyond the lipportion 35, the latter is urged outwardly into blocking positionrelative to the slot by the spring. From the foregoing it can be seenthat the insertion of a card in the display device is eX- tremelysimple, it only being necessary to insert the card in the slot and moveit upwardly in the guideways to a position where its lower edge passesbeyond the lip portions 35 and 35a.

One of the diiculties heretofore encountered in display devices of thegeneral nature herein shown is that unauthorized persons, particularlyjuveniles, are wont to tamper with the advertising material,particularly to withdraw the card or other advertising matter. Thus, ifexposed or easily operated means are provided for retaining the card inposition, loss of the advertising material is apt to result soon afterit is installed.

For this reason the display device of the present invention incorporatesthe use of key-operated means for withdrawing the display card.

For this purpose a pair of openings 36 are provided in the lower guidingmeans 24 aligned with the legs 34 of the springs 31, and there isprovided a key 37 having a pair of pins 38 thereon which may be insertedin the openings 36 to contact the leg portions 34 and thus to move thelip portions 35 to unblocking position relative to the slot 27. With theretaining means so moved by the key, the card may be moved downwardlyuntil it has passed the lip portions whereupon the key may be withdrawnand the card slipped out of the slot.

The provision of the pair of openings 36 rather than a single openingmakes it more ditlcult for unauthorized persons to remove an advertisingcard. If only one hole were used anyone with a match, nail or similarobject could remove the card, using one hand to hold the nail or otherobject and the other hand to remove the card.

By using two holes both hands would be occupied in moving the springs tounlocking position, leaving no hands free to withdraw the card.

Obviously the entire housing may be secured to the parking meter post inthe position shown or in inverted position if it is preferable to insertthe cards from the top.

From the foregoing it can be seen that there has been provided a displaydevice which is particularly adapted to be readily secured to a post andwhich is provided with means for displaying a card of advertising matterand the like, and that the card, while readily inserted in the device,may not oe withdrawn therefrom except by the use of a key in the mannerdescribed. As so constructed the display device is particularly adaptedfor use in conjunction with parking meters wherein the danger ofvandalism is particularly acute as the display device is within thereach of children of almost all ages.

I claim:

1. A holder for an advertising card or the like comprising a base memberhaving an exposed face portion, guideways mounted on the base member andoverlying the sides of the face portion, means defining an entrance slotbetween the face portion and one of said guideways through which thecard may be inserted into said guideways to overlie the face portion,movable retaining means underlying said one guideway, spring meansbiasing the retaining means to a position blocking said slot to retainthe card in inserted position, a cam portion on said retaining means andpositioned to :be contacted by a card inserted through the slot to movethe retaining means to a position unblocking the slot to permit saidinsertion of a card, said spring means returning the retaining means toblocking position when the card is fully inserted, and

Crt

key-operated means for depressing the spring means to move saidretaining means to a position unblocking the slot to permit withdrawalof the card therethrough.

2. A holder for an advertising card or the like comprising a base memberhaving an exposed face portion, guideways mounted on the base member andoverlying the sides of the face portion, means defining an entrance slotbetween the face portion and one of said guideways through which thecard may be inserted into said guideways to overlie the face portion,retaining means underlying said one guideway for retaining a card ininserted position, said retaining means including a substantiallyU-shaped leaf spring having one leg thereof bearing against the basemember and the other leg having an inturned lip formed at the free endthereof, said other leg being positioned in the slot to be contacted bya card inserted therethrough to depress the lip and thereby permitinsertion of the card into the guideways, said spring returning said lipIto a position blocking the slot when the card is fully inserted, andmeans defining an aperture in said one guideway aligned with said otherleg for the insertion 'of a key therein to depress the spring to movethe lip to unblocking position whereby to permit withdrawal of the cardthrough the slot.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 398,392Harker Feb. 26, 1889 2,027,086 Brookey Jan. 7, 1936 2,106,203 Ashe Jan.25, 1938 2,468,421 Williams Apr. 16, 1950 2,507,875 Williams May 16,1950 2,575,913 Eastman Nov. 20, 1951

